No one hates musicals quite like people who profess to love musicals, and the genre is known for its extremely passionate (and sometimes snobby) fan base. Thankfully, all-around good guy Tom Hanks is here to lend his support to one of the most unfairly maligned musicals of the last decade, Mamma Mia 2.
That’s right, Tom Hanks thinks Mamma Mia 2 is one of the best musicals of all time, and in fact, considering he calls it ‘perfect’, he might consider it one of the best movies ever made as well. Hanks defended the often vilified sequel during an appearance on the best talk show on TV, The Graham Norton Show, where he was joined by Cher (who, of course, plays Ruby Sheridan in the film).
Cher was explaining that she doesn’t like to listen to her own music or watch the movies she’s appeared in, which seemed to astound Hanks. “You’re missing out,” he exclaimed. “You’re missing out. Motion picture perfection? Mamma Mia 2. When she busts out Fernando, the world stops. Suns clash with the stars. It’s perfection!”
Mamma Mia 2 received mixed reviews when it was released, with some critics praising the film’s charming cast and self-effacing humor, while others were less kind, labelling it an uninspired rehash. So, where do I fall on it?
Well, honestly, I’m not quite as effusive with my praise as Hanks. I don’t think it’s perfection. In fact, I remember being oddly bored during long stretches of the film. But, and it’s a big but, any film that gives me Hugh Skinner warbling Waterloo is worth seeing, in my opinion, and Hanks is right to praise the film.
Why? Well, the thing I admire about films like Mamma Mia 2 is how they bring different audiences into theatres. If we want cinema to continue to flourish, we need to get more bums in seats, and that means making more than just IP-driven blockbusters; we have to give audiences variety, and people love musicals.
Look at the recent success of Barbie (I know it’s technically IP-driven), and it’s one of the highest-grossing movies ever, and that was a wildly ambitious meta-musical. Anyway, enough pontificating about the future of cinema. If you love Hanks, why not check out our list of the best Tom Hanks movies? We’ve also got a list of all the new movies coming next year.